Northern Highlands marching band wins national championship

By Sarah Nolan

Staff Writer |

Town Journal

It may be football season, but the Northern Highlands marching band, the Highlands Regiment, wowed judges with its baseball-themed performance and took home the USBands National Championship trophy in their category for the second year in a row on Nov. 2.

The Northern Highlands marching band celebrates with their 12-foot trophy after winning.

Drum Major Christine Kim said the win was beyond exciting, though being the reigning champions added a new level of pressure for the group.

"We worked so hard, tirelessly for hours and hours a week, but everyone loved every minute of it," the senior said.

Kim is joined by two other Drum Majors, Andy Kim and Marcela Rodriguez. The Color Guard captains are Joline Hartheimer and Emma McKee.

Teddi Sotiropoulos, the marching band instructor and music coordinator at the high school, said this year's show, "Batter Up," was unique because the band premiered the music this year, meaning it was written specifically for them.

After winning the Yamaha Cup competition, states and nationals last year, the instructor said she wanted to do something special. The music, based almost entirely on "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," was tough, but proved to be worth it.

The band was larger this year at 84 members, moving them up from group 3A to 4A. Being on the smaller size for their group, which goes up to 100 members, was a concern, Sotiropoulos said, but winning was all the more rewarding.

"I thought they really deserved it because they really had a great show and they worked really hard," Sotiropoulos said.

The Regiment took home a 12-foot tall trophy that they hope to display in the school - if they can find high enough ceilings.

"Thank goodness our front lobby is two stories high!" Superintendent John Keenan said. "The dedication of our marching band truly embodies the definition of commitment. From the sweltering heat of band camp in the summer to the freezing temperatures in the fall, our students, staff and parents are always giving 110 percent, adding a new element to their show after every performance."

And, Keenan credits the band's instructor for her dedication to the band.

"Their success begins with the passion of our Director of Bands, Theodora Sotiropoulos, and the passionate staff she has assembled, several of whom graduated from Highlands," he said.

When Sotiropoulos came to Northern Highlands 19 years ago, the school didn't have a marching band and the hope was she would start one. She came to Highlands from Midland Park High School, where she also began the marching band program, and started out with 20 students in a pep band.

The group sounded really good, she said, and at the last game of the football season they went on the field to perform at halftime, and the crowd went wild.

By the third year, there were 56 kids in the marching band and it "just took off from there," she said. Sotiropoulos was in marching band in high school and college, but credits her experience with the Syracuse Brigadiers - an acclaimed drum and bugle corps for all ages - for teaching her invaluable skills she was able to bring back to the students.

"Some of the best instructors in this particular activity taught there over the years, so I just really watched and listened," she said, adding that in her eight years with the Brigadiers she also had the opportunity to teach.

The Regiment's visual designer, Rick Morey, who writes the drills for the group, has worked with Sotiropoulos for over 10 years, which also makes a big difference, she said.

"If you don't have a good visual design or good music, it's very hard to do well," she said. "And here we have some of the best people in the business working with us. And the kids have really stepped up. I'm always happy when kids join because it's voluntary, but they really like it."

While many high schools make marching band a requirement if a student is involved in band, it was important to Sotiropoulos that it be voluntary at Highlands. It makes the group better and also allows athletes to partake in the wind ensemble or symphonic band. There's an athlete from every sport in band or choir, and making marching band required would mean the music program would likely miss out on "some great kids and terrific musicians," she said.

Marching band practices are every Tuesday and Thursday and on the weekends. Members also participate in a week of band camp in August, during which they learn much of the music and drills for the season. While it's a lot of hard work, students agree it's just as much fun.

"I love the fact that marching band here is voluntary and so many kids do it, because in other schools you'll see kids that are miserable because it's required," Kim said. "Everyone here is here because they love it - that's a big reason why we work so hard."

The group has had a particularly great time this year with the joint success of their band and the Northern Highlands football team. Sotiropoulos said the band has a great relationship with the team and while of course, the band goes to the football games to support the team, the football team also goes to marching band competitions to support its band.

"It's a good feeling," marching band member Mary Hope Clark, a sophomore, said. "At Highlands, there's such a supportive feeling between all the sports teams and the marching band and everyone else. Everyone here is a big family; we're all Highlanders and we all appreciate that."

And, the marching band has become a source of pride for the high school.

"Being crowned as National Champs for the second consecutive year is a clear indicator that our marching band is extremely talented and a model of consistency," Principal Joe Occino said. "Their dedication and commitment to being the best is appreciated by the entire Highlands community."

It may be football season, but the Northern Highlands marching band, the Highlands Regiment, wowed judges with its baseball-themed performance and took home the USBands National Championship trophy in their category for the second year in a row on Nov. 2.

Drum Major Christine Kim said the win was beyond exciting, though being the reigning champions added a new level of pressure for the group.

"We worked so hard, tirelessly for hours and hours a week, but everyone loved every minute of it," the senior said.

Kim is joined by two other Drum Majors, Andy Kim and Marcela Rodriguez. The Color Guard captains are Joline Hartheimer and Emma McKee.

Teddi Sotiropoulos, the marching band instructor and music coordinator at the high school, said this year's show, "Batter Up," was unique because the band premiered the music this year, meaning it was written specifically for them.

After winning the Yamaha Cup competition, states and nationals last year, the instructor said she wanted to do something special. The music, based almost entirely on "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," was tough, but proved to be worth it.

The band was larger this year at 84 members, moving them up from group 3A to 4A. Being on the smaller size for their group, which goes up to 100 members, was a concern, Sotiropoulos said, but winning was all the more rewarding.

"I thought they really deserved it because they really had a great show and they worked really hard," Sotiropoulos said.

The Regiment took home a 12-foot tall trophy that they hope to display in the school - if they can find high enough ceilings.

"Thank goodness our front lobby is two stories high!" Superintendent John Keenan said. "The dedication of our marching band truly embodies the definition of commitment. From the sweltering heat of band camp in the summer to the freezing temperatures in the fall, our students, staff and parents are always giving 110 percent, adding a new element to their show after every performance."

And, Keenan credits the band's instructor for her dedication to the band.

"Their success begins with the passion of our Director of Bands, Theodora Sotiropoulos, and the passionate staff she has assembled, several of whom graduated from Highlands," he said.

When Sotiropoulos came to Northern Highlands 19 years ago, the school didn't have a marching band and the hope was she would start one. She came to Highlands from Midland Park High School, where she also began the marching band program, and started out with 20 students in a pep band.

The group sounded really good, she said, and at the last game of the football season they went on the field to perform at halftime, and the crowd went wild.

By the third year, there were 56 kids in the marching band and it "just took off from there," she said. Sotiropoulos was in marching band in high school and college, but credits her experience with the Syracuse Brigadiers - an acclaimed drum and bugle corps for all ages - for teaching her invaluable skills she was able to bring back to the students.

"Some of the best instructors in this particular activity taught there over the years, so I just really watched and listened," she said, adding that in her eight years with the Brigadiers she also had the opportunity to teach.

The Regiment's visual designer, Rick Morey, who writes the drills for the group, has worked with Sotiropoulos for over 10 years, which also makes a big difference, she said.

"If you don't have a good visual design or good music, it's very hard to do well," she said. "And here we have some of the best people in the business working with us. And the kids have really stepped up. I'm always happy when kids join because it's voluntary, but they really like it."

While many high schools make marching band a requirement if a student is involved in band, it was important to Sotiropoulos that it be voluntary at Highlands. It makes the group better and also allows athletes to partake in the wind ensemble or symphonic band. There's an athlete from every sport in band or choir, and making marching band required would mean the music program would likely miss out on "some great kids and terrific musicians," she said.

Marching band practices are every Tuesday and Thursday and on the weekends. Members also participate in a week of band camp in August, during which they learn much of the music and drills for the season. While it's a lot of hard work, students agree it's just as much fun.